Frequency of having to do blood glucose tests

Hi DGO

Welcome to the forum. It must be so confusing to have the feeling that all is out of control and yet still achieve a very respectable HbA1c of 6. I am not an insulin user so really cannot comment further. Hopefully one of our insulin using members will be along shortly to assist.

Regards

Doug

Hi DGO,

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment. I think a thing to remember about Hba1c, is that it only tells us so much- as you have demonstrated by your post. On paper a Hba1c of 6 sounds great, but in fact if your diabetes control is difficult for you and you are clearly trying very hard with all your blood testing and injections but not getting the results you want, then it sounds like you could do with some help and support.

Is this swinging from high to low a recent/new thing? Are you quite confident in your carb counting?

In terms of losing hypo awareness, I have also experienced this, it can be very frightening. However, with help from my diabetes team, having less extremes in blood sugar levels swinging from high to low and vice versa has increasingly brought back my awareness. I hope this may reassure you a bit.

You may be aware of all this, but I find if I give a correction dose on it's own, it seems to have a more dramatic effect on bringing my sugars down. This may be something to bear in mind as to why you are dropping low. Also being aware that the rapid insulin will be active for about 3-4 hours after you inject, so trying to avoid a 'stacking-up' effect by not doing too many corrections and allowing the insulin already in your system to do its work may prevent further lows.

I don't know if any of this is of use to you, but I really hope that if you explain to your diabetes team that although you have an excellent Hba1c level, you are struggling, that they will be able to help.

I understand how tiring it can be when you are trying so hard to get good control day after day and I really hope things get a bit easier for you.

All fantastic advice from Marmite. It is very hard when you all of a sudden encounter poor control , I bet especially for someone like yourself who has had it for so long. I think that is very good advice about the insulin stacking up...it does seem to have an accumulative effect, so you may be over correcting maybe and not giving your dose when you have eaten enough time to work and this is why you may be swinging low :?:
Sometimes it is just beyond our control DGO so please don't give your self a hard time when you are obviously trying hard to get control...and if anyone can get good control I'm sure it is you when you try, after having it for so long...I feel like I'm trying to tell my Grandmother how to suck eggs :lol:
Like I said sometimes Diabetes control throws us a curve ball probably due to a lot of other Endocrine issues coming into play...Hormones change all the time and especially as we get older, Testosterone , DHEA ,HGH all drop and this has a knock on effect with glucose control...we sometimes forget we are trying to replicate a delicate process that a normal body just adjusts naturally and takes for granted ,for us it does not work in synergy. Lots of things can send Glucose control AWOL for no obvious reason

It is very true also what Marmite said about the Hba1c not being representative of us possibly struggling to get good control. The Medics tend to look at labs and bottom line figures and if they are OK well ,you are good to go as far as they are concerned...Have a word with one of your DSN, I do tend to find these easier to explain things to rather than a consultant.
Good luck I really hope things work out for you.

Really glad things are getting better for you DGO. Sometimes just simplifying things a bit as you've done with the lantus can help to make things a bit clearer!

Really hope you continue to feel more in control, sounds like you're doing a great job!

Glad everything is working out DGO